Written Answers Wednesday 25 August 2010

Scottish Executive

Communities

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many community trusts are in operation, broken down by local authority area.

John Swinney: The information requested is not held centrally.

  The Development Trust Association Scotland (DTAS) is the national body for development trusts in Scotland. DTAS is a membership organisation and further details on current membership and their work can be found at http://www.dtascot.org.uk.

Council Tax

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average total saving is on a house in each council tax band in the City of Edinburgh local authority area as a result of the freeze in council tax.

John Swinney: The council tax freeze relative to income benefits those council tax payers on lower incomes the most. The average total saving over the three year period of the freeze in each council tax band in the City of Edinburgh is given in the following table. The figures take account of discounts and exemptions but do not take account of council tax benefit.

  City of Edinburgh – Average Saving Per Dwelling from Council Tax Freeze

  

Council Tax Band
Average Saving


Band A
£119


Band B
£140


Band C
£165


Band D
£188


Band E
£236


Band F
£283


Band G
£335


Band H
£406



  Notes:

  Figures show effects on bills – the figures do not take account of council tax benefit.

  Exempt dwellings are excluded.

  The figures take account of discounts.

  The figures are based on the distribution of dwellings as at September 2009.

  The figures are based on assuming 3 per cent rises without a council tax freeze each year.

Employment

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what formal analysis or evaluation it has carried out of the impact of its economic recovery plan on the rate of unemployment.

John Swinney: The Economic Recovery Plan (ERP) sets out a number of priorities to accelerate recovery and to stimulate lasting improvements in Scotland’s long-term economic performance. The plan is focussed on three broad themes: Investing in innovation and industries of the future; strengthening education and skills, and supporting jobs and communities.

  The plan has been focussed on responding to both the immediate short-term pressures arising as a result of the recession, particularly in the labour market and in terms of output, investment and confidence more generally, but also about protecting and improving the competitiveness and sustainability of the Scottish economy.

  Elements of the ERP are estimated to support around 15,000 jobs in the Scottish economy, including over 5,000 jobs that are estimated to have been supported by the accelerated capital spending programme. Estimates of the impacts of some of these actions have been set out in the Economic Recovery Plan updates – the most recent update was published on 3 March 2010 - and in the answer to question S3W-33003 on 28 April 2010.

  The wider impact of some of these interventions (such as support for skills development, training and the funding of additional places for apprentices, etc.) cannot be captured in the short-term as they improve the long run capacity of the economy.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

  Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers the reason to be that unemployment in Scotland is now at a higher rate than in the rest of the United Kingdom.

John Swinney: The most recent Scottish labour market statistics show that for the period March-May 2010 the ILO unemployment rate in Scotland was 8.1%, compared to a rate of 7.8% for the UK, as a whole. However, what is clear from the trends in unemployment rates during the recession is that both the UK and Scotland have followed a similar upward trajectory. However, as unemployment (and labour market performance in general) tends to lag changes in output in the economy, the different timing in terms of entry into recession in Scotland (one quarter later) can explain differences in unemployment rates at different points during the recessionary and recovery phases. Differences in the nature of the economic cycle between Scotland and the UK are also a key factor.

  For an updated analysis of the State of Economy please see the latest assessment by the Scottish Government’s Chief Economic Adviser, which was published on 2 August 2010.

Prison Service

John Lamont (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners were prescribed methadone in each prison in each of the last 10 years.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  This information is not available. 

  However, the SPS has undertaken prison-wide snapshot audits across all Scottish prisons since 2006 of prisoners being prescribed methadone on a given day. On 8 December 2006, 1,228 prisoners were prescribed methadone, being 17.1% of the prisoner population on that day. These audits have demonstrated a 1% annual increase in the number of prisoners being prescribed methadone. 

  The latest audit in respect of prisoners held in custody on 23 July 2010 shows that 1,679 prisoners were prescribed methadone, being 21.5% of the prisoner population on that day. The majority, approximately 85%, are the continuation of prescriptions commenced in the community.

  Results for the last five years are given in the following table:

  Snapshot Audit of Methadone Prescribing in Prison: Highest No. in Each Year

  

Year
Date of Audit
No. of Prisoners Receiving Methadone
Population that Day
% of Population in Receipt of Methadone


2006
8 December
1,228
7,174
17.1


2007
14 December
1,354
7,240
18.7


2008
22 August
1,497
7,956
18.8


2009
28 August
1,609
8,027
20


2010
23 July
1,679
7,807
21.5



  John Lamont (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what maximum number of prisoners was on a methadone prescription in each prison in each of the last 10 years.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  The SPS has undertaken snapshot audits across all Scottish prisons since 2006 of prisoners being prescribed methadone on a given day, two to three times per year.

  Results of the last five years are given in the following table:

  Snapshot Audit of Methadone Prescribing in Prison: Highest No. in Each Year

  

Year
Date of audit
No. of Prisoners Receiving Methadone
Population that Day
% of Population in Receipt of Methadone


2006
8 December
1,228
7,174
17.1


2007
14 December
1,354
7,240
18.7


2008
22 August
1,497
7,956
18.8


2009
28 August
1,609
8,027
20


2010
23 July
1,679
7,807
21.5

Procurement

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-34957 by John Swinney on 23 July 2010, what steps are being taken to establish whether a requirement to have a living wage clause in procurement contracts would breach article 56 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

John Swinney: The issue of procurement contracts and article 56 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union was the subject of a judgement from the European Court of Justice in the case of Ruffert v Land Niedersachsen [C-346/06]. A copy of the judgement can be found on the Curia website (http://curia.europa.eu/jcms/jcms/j_6/).

  Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent it uses the requirement to pay the living wage as a community benefit clause in its procurement processes.

John Swinney: Community Benefit clauses are one of a range of social clauses that can be included in contracts. They have been used to achieve targeted recruitment and training, small and medium-sized social enterprise development and community engagement. 

  The setting of a level of wage in excess of that of the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 as a pre-requisite of a public contract may amount to a restriction of freedom to provide services and could therefore be in breach of EU law. Consequently, we do not envisage that Community Benefit clauses will be used to set a living wage as part of Scottish Government contracts.

Public Sector

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-34305 and S3W-34306 by John Swinney on 17 June 2010, when it expects the chief executives of Scottish Enterprise and Skills Development Scotland to provide the information requested.

John Swinney: I understand that the Chief Executive of Skills Development Scotland wrote to you providing the information requested on 2 August 2010, and I expect the Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise to write to you shortly.

  Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive at what rate per mile staff at (a) the Scottish Executive and (b) each other publicly funded body can claim expenses for journeys undertaken by bicycle and what total value of claims has been paid by each body since 1999.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government processes travel and subsistence claims for a number of Scottish Government agencies and non-departmental public bodies. All of these organisations apply the Scottish Government’s Travel and Subsistence rates.

  For journeys on official business undertaken by bicycle the rate payable is £0.20 per mile. The travel and subsistence system only holds expenses data since 2005. Details of amounts paid in bicycle allowance for staff employed by different public bodies since 2005 are as follows:

  

Scottish Government Core 
£847.00


Crofters Commission 
£2.80


Deer Commission of Scotland 
£73.60


Scottish Building Standards Agency
£6.00


HM Inspectorate of Education
£0.20


Disclosure Scotland
£13.20


Student Awards Agency for Scotland
£6.40


Transport Scotland
£22.40


Mental Health Tribunal
£6.40


Scottish Housing Regulator
£3.00


General Register Office for Scotland
£60.40


Total
£1,041.40



  Information about the rates paid by other publicly funded bodies is not held centrally.

Wildlife

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to protect red deer on the mainland from hybridisation with sika deer.

Roseanna Cunningham: It is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 deliberately or accidentally to release sika deer or their hybrids into the wild.

  Sika deer are sufficiently well established in many parts of Scotland such that their eradication would be virtually impossible and it is likely that hybridisation in these areas has already occurred. Where there is local consensus about the need for control measures in an area where sika are not present or are attempting to colonise, Scottish Natural Heritage will be able to provide information, advice and support to deer managers to help with efforts to slow or halt the spread of sika deer, provided that control measures are carried out within the law.

  Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many sika deer have been culled in each of the last five years in order to reduce hybridisation with native red deer.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government does not hold any comprehensive data on the purpose for which deer are culled. Total numbers of sika deer culled as reported to the Deer Commission for Scotland for the last five years are:

  

2005-06 
5,110


2006-07 
5,765


2007-08 
5,167


2008-09 
5,465


2009-10 
5,650



  Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its aim is to (a) exterminate, (b) reduce, (c) retain the current level of or (d) increase the current level of the sika deer population.

Roseanna Cunningham: Scottish Natural Heritage has a duty under Section 1(1)(a)of the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996, as amended by the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, to "further the conservation, control and sustainable management of deer". The 1996 act applies to red deer, roe deer, fallow deer and sika deer and any hybrids of those species. The Scottish Government recognises that sika are now a well-established species in mainland Scotland and that their eradication is not practicable. Decisions about sika deer management will be taken by local land managers to reflect their particular deer management objectives balanced with other needs, for example in relation to agriculture, forestry and public safety.

  Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) sika deer and (b) red-sika hybrids were present in Scotland (i) 15 years ago and (ii) in the last year for which figures are available.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government does not hold data recording the number of sika or sika hybrids in Scotland.

  The most recent studies show little change in the composition of hybridising populations over a 15 year timescale. Ongoing research by the University of Edinburgh, working in partnership with Scottish Natural Heritage, will continue to quantify the extent to which hybridisation has taken place.

  Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Natural Heritage, in assuming the powers of the Deer Commission for Scotland, will have a statutory responsibility to conserve the number of sika deer.

Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-35553 on 25 August 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.